Behind the wheel of his 1939 classic Ford Woody, author Tom Cotter and photographer Michael Alan Ross trolled the back streets and neighborhoods of historic Detroit looking for lost automotive gems.

Detroit is an emotional and historical mecca for car enthusiasts, capable of drawing hundreds of thousands of car people for events like Woodward Dream Cruise and attracting design-forward companies like Shinola. At the same time, it's intimidating to navigate with numerous dodgy neighborhoods and risky abandoned factory sites. Add it all together and you have fascinating and intriguing opportunities to dig for barn-find gold.